Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald died yesterday, less than a week after her cancer was made public. Speaker Pelosi gave her a press release sendoff:

As the first African American woman to chair a committee in Congress, Juanita Millender-McDonald was a trailblazer, always advocating for the full participation of all Americans in the success and prosperity of our country.

But Millender-McDonald wasn’t the first African American woman to chair a committee. That was Yvonne Brathwaite Burke.
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Remember Nutty McNutzalot Juanita Millender-McDonald, the California congresswoman who fires staffers for setting a piece of candy on a chair or walking in front of her? Whoever writes her press releases is having a grand old time mocking the nutbag with comedy gems like this one:

For the first time in the 60-year history of the Committee on House Administration (CHA), a woman sounded the gavel that opened the first meeting today. Chairwoman Juanita Millender-McDonald, (D-CA) called the meeting to order acknowledging the Committee Staff who presented her with her new gavel. “My staff has included a card that reads, ‘With a grand and graceful gesture, the Chairwoman lowered the gavel calling the meeting to order.’ I appreciate this very kind gesture. Thank you so much,” she said.

Jesus Christ! Her staffers obviously hate her so much, it’s amazing they haven’t poisoned her yet. MORE »

Congresspeople are rarely known as “good bosses” or “semi-acceptable humans,” but California Democrat Juanita Millender-McDonald may be an actual dangerous crazy person, according to Lois Romano’s new column:

She once fired an aide for — among other issues — leaving a box of candy on her chair, said a source. Her No. 1 rule, the ex-aides say, is that aides can never walk in front of her.

The great thing about 12 years of Republican House Rule is that so many little tyrants like Millender-McDonald operated in obscurity. Only a few hundred fired or forced-away staffers and the unlucky people of Long Beach had to deal with her. But Millender-McDonald now chairs the House Administration Committee and there’s no escaping her wrath. MORE »